A July Birthday
by DanieXJ
Summary: 14th in my Holidays Series. One of the ladies has a birthday, and an old friend of Kerry's visits.


**Title**: A July Birthday

**Series**: #14 in Holidays Series

**Disclaimer**: Don't own most of the characters.

oOOOOo

Sam poked her head in the doctor's lounge and almost sighed in relief. "Doctor Weaver, there's a man out here who is diagnosing patients."

Kerry nodded, "I'll be right out."

Sam closed the door and decided she wouldn't be going back to the admit desk. Abby looked like she was trying to deal with the scruffy gray haired man with the cane and chip on his shoulder, and not doing a great job.

"Mister."

"Doctor..."

Abby took a cleansing breath, "Doctor..."

"Greg House, stop torturing my Resident and diagnosing my patients."

The man looked Abby up and down, "Too old to be the Chief Resident."

Kerry shook her head, "Don't diagnose my patients, and leave my staff alone." She glanced around, "What's everyone waiting for, invitations, get back to work."

Most of the nurses and doctors scurried away from the desk. House shook his head, "You got your wheel fixed."

Kerry's hand went down to her leg, "What're you doing here, did Lisa Cuddy finally gain some good sense and fire you?"

"No... told me to go the hell away or she would though."

A smile came to Kerry's face, "So, you came to pester me?"

House shrugged as he picked up a chart. Kerry took it from his hand and put it back. "Follow me Greg."

They walked towards the Doctor's lounge. Sharon frowned after them. She spoke to Abby, "Is she always like that. So... in charge?"

Abby thought about her answer, Sharon was new, it was a natural question, but she didn't want her answer coming back to Kerry. "You were with her on the elevator with her. Was she in charge?"

"Oh, yeah, she was, even though..."

"She was shot. She's Kerry, she's always in charge. Period."

oOOOOo

"Who're these people."

"Put down my wallet Greg... and you'll meet them soon enough, and don't even think about touching my date book."

House sat back down and watched Kerry, "What happened? Last I knew you were Chief of Staff of this fleabag hotel..."

Kerry still didn't look up, "Life happened. It's a long story."

House threaded his hands behind his head. "You seem pretty good at talking and working."

"House." House simply stayed silent and waited. It was true that Kerry saw through him for the most part, but she was only human. "Fine, fine, you know about Sandy?"

"Nope."

"Kim?"

"Nope..."

"That I'm gay?"

House raised his eyebrows, "Ah, no... guess we didn't stay in touch since..."

"Conference... ten years ago was the last time we saw each other."

Both fell silent, "So... tell me..."

Kerry stared down at her paperwork. "It all started in 2000. I met Kim before, but Thanksgiving was where the bolder I'd been pushing up the hill for my whole life started rolling me back down the hill. Of course, I didn't know at the time that I wanted to be at the bottom of the hill."

"So, heterosexuality is the top and homosexuality is the bottom. Since you're gay, shouldn't that be the other way around, or do I detect some internal homophobia."

"Greg..."

"Kerry."

Kerry shook her head, "It was an imperfect metaphor, just listen or I'll stop telling it, and you know you don't want that..."

"Carry on then with your imperfectness..."

oOOOOo

"Kim?"

"Hen-"

He bit his lip, "Can I give you my present? Now?"

Kim hefted Henry into her arms, "Course short stuff. Your room?"

He nodded, "Kim, how old are you?"

"Ooh... uh uh... A very important fact to remember, your Uncles probably haven't imparted this yet. Always remember, never, ever, ever ask a lady her age."

"You're not a lady, you're Kim."

Kim paused at the door to Henry's room and gave the young child's tummy a tickle, "Hmmm... okay, you may have a point. I'm going to be 38."

"That's old. Down please." Kim let Henry down and he went over to by his bed and simply stood there. "Around please."

Kim smiled and turned so that her back was to the room, "Should I hum too?"

Some of his mother's un-humor-ness apparently had rubbed off on him as he gave a perfectly straight, "No."

Kim shook her head. Sometimes it really surprised her just how much he and Kerry really were even though they shared no genes. "That was a joke..."

"I know." Kim swallowed a laugh, "Turn now."

Henry handed Kim a box with a bright blue bow on it. "Thank you."

"Your welcome." He sat on the bed and bounced a bit, "Open, open..."

Kim placed the box on Henry's desk and carefully unwrapped it. She opened the box and a 'wow' popped out of her mouth.

"Uncle Eddie helped." Henry made a face, "Plastic's hard..."

Kim smiled as she held a small, painted, plastic clown in her hands. "He's Merle and Earl's new friend?"

"No, she's a she silly... see..."

Kim was about to pull down the pants that she had on when Henry pointed at her eyes and Kim squinted, "Oh, I do... thank you Henry, I love Pearl. Think that's a good name?"

Henry nodded as she put Pearl down on the desk and held her arms open. Henry stood on the bed and hugged Kim. He stayed standing after Kim let go and paid dearly for it. "Henry Guillermo..."

Henry looked towards the door and his foot slipped. Kim managed to catch him with an oof. He shook his head as Kim placed him in a sitting position on the bed. "Not my fault."

Kerry's eyes went to Kim, who shrugged, "He has a point."

Kerry rolled her eyes, "There's a reason you're not supposed to stand on the bed young man."

"I know."

Kerry changed the subject, "So, who wants to meet the grumpy guy in the living room?"

"Grumpy guy?"

"Oh yes..."

oOOOOo

House ran a finger down the CDs in Kerry's collection. She still had just as weird a collection as she always had.

He looked up as the women and boy from the picture came into the living room. "Wait, you're related to them?"

Kerry pinched the bridge of her nose, "Greg. This is my son Henry and wife Kim Legaspi."

House tilted his head to one side, "Wife?"

"Leave it be Greg."

Kim and Henry's heads swiveled from side to side, following the conversation.

House put one foot on the coffee table. He started to put the other one up when Kerry cleared her throat. House's good leg paused halfway up and he looked over at Kerry. He slowly lowered it back to the ground and helped his bad leg join his good one. Henry laughed.

Kerry shook her head, "C'mon Henry, let's go make dinner." She glanced at House, pinning him with a look. "No feet on the furniture."

Kim smirked as she sat down across from House. She didn't speak, just sat there. Finally House spoke, "You don't seem like her type."

Kim folded her hands in front of her, "Oh, and what do you think is Ker's type."

"Men."

Kim tilted her head to one side, "Would it help if I said I used to be a man?"

This actually caused House to look a bit surprised, "Really?"

"Well, no... but if it would make it easier for you I could pretend."

House shook his head, "You're a Psychologist."

"Psychiatrist actually. But... I generally don't practice at home. So, what do you do?"

"I'm a Doctor in New Jersey. Princeton Plainsboro."

Kim nodded, "Lisa Cuddy right? Good doctor, big bazookas..." House blinked, "What? I met her at a conference..." He still didn't speak, "Am I wrong?"

"No, I'm just not used to that coming out of someone else's mouth."

Kim shrugged, "So, I ask you again, what's Kerry's type."

House studied Kim, "Not you." He tilted his head one way, then the other. "Too tall, too blonde, and way too white."

Kim didn't look convinced, "Oh?"

"Think about her longest relationships. Other than you there's the lung..."

"Mlungisi."

"Yes, him... there was Percy, before your time, college, he was a rebound when she and Mlungisi semi-parted ways, he was almost the twin of Mlung-guy. And she showed me a picture of Sandy..."

Kim blinked, "And Courtney..." She sat back in the chair. "Whoa... I never even realized."

"You two must be..." House rolled his eyes up into his head, "True love or some equally horrendous explanation. Or maybe she just likes how you..."

Kim stood, cutting off House, "You should rest a little."

"Hmmm?"

She shook her head with a slight smile, "It must be tiring being that cynical all the time."

oOOOOo

"Why does your son call her Kim?"

"That's her name, and that's what he chooses to call her." Kerry paused, coffee mug halfway to her mouth, "Why are you really here?" They were in the kitchen, Kerry was drinking coffee, Kim was putting Henry to bed and House was being his annoying old self.

"She's not his birth Mom?"

"No, neither am I.. his Mom died, Sandy died four years ago. Why are you here?"

"Why are any of us here. There are millions of step parents who are called Mom and Dad, especially when their the only one. He calls you Mama."

Kerry shook her head, "You just have to figure everything out. Ask Kim if you truly care, they were the ones who talked about it."

House gave a hurf, "She's a psychiatrist."

Kerry chuckled as Kim back into the kitchen, "Down for the count. You two having fun?"

Before either Kerry or House could speak a shrill cell phone ring tone rang. Kim moved over to her bag and snatched it out before it could ring again, "Legaspi."

She was silent for a long moment, "Okay, no, you were right to call. I'll be right in." Kim hung up,

"Hospital?"

Kim nodded and leaded down, giving Kerry a kiss. "I'm sorry, I'll be back as soon as I can."

Kim gathered her things and left. House stared at Kim's back as she left the house. He threaded his fingers over his cane. "She's not your type."

"And you told her that. Did you come all the way to Chicago to play head games with me and screw with my life Greg?"

"Love is... overrated in today's world. People think that they have to have love to be happy, have someone to be happy."

"It's only overrated in your mind Greg. You're right though, love can't make us happy all by itself. It won't fix anything, but that doesn't mean that it isn't valid Greg. Love just... is. What'd you do to piss off Lisa so badly?"

"What did it feel like? You'd never walked normally before, what did it feel like to walk by yourself for the first time?"

Kerry sat back, "I was scared as hell Greg. But in the end, it was just like any other day. No one in the ER even noticed."

House stood, "I should get going, wouldn't want to ruin blondie's birthday..." Kerry narrowed her eyes, "What I pull diagnoses out of my... every day, figuring out it was the blonde one's birthday wasn't too hard. It's been good to see you Kerry, and that really is the only reason I came."

He started moving towards the door and Kerry followed him. "You should just tell her you love her." He turned with an amused look on his face, "What." Kerry smirked, "I too pull diagnoses from thin air, and I do it with a time limit and few second chances."

House shook his head and held out a hand. Kerry looked at it and shook her head. She took hold and pulled him into an uncomfortable hug, at least on his part. "It was good to see you Greg. Stay in touch this time."

House took a step back, "I won't."

"I know."

oOOOOo

Kim snuck into the living room and just stood there, staring at Kerry. The red head was curled up on the couch, a throw thrown over her feet. Kim smiled to herself, Kerry's feet were always cold, always had been.

"Nothing too intense?"

Kim met Kerry's open eyes, "Did I wake you?"

Kerry held her head up and Kim slipped onto the couch under her. "I got you a present." she glanced across the room.

Kim smirked, "It'll stay until tomorrow..."

"Technically, it is tomorrow." Kerry closed her eyes, "Sorry 'bout Greg."

Kim ran her hand through Kerry's hair, "He's just sad... he doesn't have what we do. It sounds corny as hell, is one of the worst clichés ever, and I generally put down any book that has it in it. I don't need any presents as long as I have you."

Kerry opened her eyes and stared up at Kim, "Yep, you're right. Way too corny..." Kim leaned down and caught Kerry's lips with her own, "Mmm... less corny..." Kim laid a hand on Kerry's stomach and kissed the red head again, "Even less..."

Kim chuckled, "And when does my corny zero out?"

Kerry lifted her head and she initiated the longest kiss yet, causing Kim to run out of breath as they separated. "It could take years, decades even..."

Kim's eyes twinkled, "I can deal with that..."

oOOOOo

Fin ~ March 19th, 2008


End file.
